Kayleigh Lewis, 16, to represent Tobago

KAYLEIGH Lewis, 16, will represent Tobago at the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) Youth Congress scheduled for Antigua and Barbuda on October 4.

The disclosure was made by Tourism, Culture and Transportation Secretary, Councillor Nadine Stewart-Phillips, as she addressed Wednesday’s post Executive Council media briefing at the Victor E Bruce Financial Complex in Scarborough. She said the Division remains committed to promoting sustainable youth tourism initiatives on the island, while investing in the young people.

A significant number of young people, she said, are now more empowered, educated and knowledgeable on Tourism “and have achieved some level of understanding on the economic significance of this sector to the sustainable development to the island.”

“In keeping with our mandate, the Division hosted our second tourism youth congress on June 28 at the Scarborough library auditorium where eight secondary schools actively participated. At the end of the exercise, Miss Kayleigh Lewis, 16 years of Scarborough Secondary School was adjudged the overall winner.

“Given this achievement, Miss Lewis, who is the current Junior Secretary of Tourism 2019 will represent the island of Tobago at the Caribbean Tourism Organisation Youth Congress,” she said.

This is Tobago’s second year participating, as in 2018, Roxborough Secondary School student, Jahmone Madden became the first title holder as Junior Secretary, at the age of 15 and participated in the Youth Congress held in the Bahamas.

“This Tourism Youth Congress forms an integral part of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s annual state of the Tourism industry conference. It is an initiative that targets Secondary schools between the ages of 14 and 17 years, who are nationals whether citizens or residents from CTO member countries. “The main aim is to stimulate greater awareness of and excitement about tourism among young people in the Caribbean communities by allowing them and giving them the opportunity to research various facets of the tourism sector and share their ideas and vision with respective future directions for Caribbean Tourism. Consequently, we extend our wholehearted support to Miss Lewis and there is no doubt that she would be a great ambassador for the island of Tobago,” Stewart-Phillips said.